Hiking on Leading Ridge – The pandemic beginning to retreat as vaccinations increase – Controversy about the Astra-Zeneca vaccine – Evening statistics
Leading Ridge is the steepest ascent in Shenandoah National Park. The ridge on which the trail rises meets the main ridgeline at a rather curious angle, but it is doubtful that hikers attempt the trail for viewing this configuration, particularly as there are no views at the summit. The difficulty is the main attraction. The trail ascends nearly 1700 feet in less than a mile, with an average grade of 31%. In the past access to the trail was not always certain; one must pass through private property to reach the trailhead. But in recent years the PATC has acquired an easement, and now the route to the trailhead is clearly indicated by a sign with the trail name (and also a warning not to stray from the trail onto private land) and by blazes.
Only four of us from the Vigorous Hikers attempted it today. The weather report in earlier days was somewhat discouraging, at times predicting a wintry mix of sleet and rain, as well as temperatures well below freezing. But the reports this morning were less daunting and as matters turned out, we had no rain at all and temperatures in the mid-40s. It was just as well that there were few participants; parking at the area where the trailhead can be reached is very limited. The weather report must have discouraged others besides members of our own group, for we saw nobody on the trails at all. To be sure, not many attempt Leading Ridge. But we proceeded from there to complete a loop using the Hannah Run and Nicholson Hollow Trails, both of which are frequently used under more promising conditions. The complete hike was 16 miles and somewhat over 4300 feet of ascent. However, the ascents that we did after we completed Leading Ridge were much less arduous. We finally descended along the Crusher Ridge Trail, which offered good views of the valley below through the trees. This is one advantage of hiking in the winter: when the leaves will unfurl later in the season, such views are obscured entirely. Indeed, the hike was extremely enjoyable, despite the overcast skies and damp atmosphere. Much of the hike along Hannah Run, Nicholson Hollow, and Crusher Ridge Trails took place alongside mountain brooks, the sound of whose gentle plashing is unusually soothing.
There is more news about the vaccines, most of it reassuring. More than 22 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed in the next seven days, a new high that would send the daily average over 3 million vaccinations for the first time. Mississippi, Alaska, and Arizona have now opened up vaccine eligibility for all state residents. Over 110 million doses have already been administered, a significant amount for a country with a population of 332 million people. The vaccines are starting to have an effect. The seven-day rolling average for daily new cases in the U.S. decreased over the past two weeks from 67,570 on March 1 to 55,332 yesterday, while the average for daily deaths on those same dates dropped from 1,991 to 1,356.
The controversy about the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, however, has slowed down the decline in cases and deaths in Europe. It must be admitted that the nations who have placed this particular vaccine on hold have some cause. Their reservations stem from the fact that a small number of people have developed blood clots after taking the vaccine. The proponents of the vaccine claim that studies have shown no correlation between blood clots and the vaccine, and that the clots must therefore have been caused by something else. But none of them have directly addressed the issue of what could have caused them. Did the people who developed them have underlying conditions? And why haven’t we seen such cases among recipients of the other vaccines? Not only do these questions remain unanswered, but no one has even bothered to ask them.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 121,214,690; # of deaths worldwide: 2,681,564; # of cases U.S.: 30,189,911; # of deaths; U.S.: 549,195.